“Thank the gods,” I say hurriedly, crouching to look into the boy’s bright green eyes. “You can understand me, right?”
He nods.
“I don’t know what they’re saying. Can you ask them where my satchel is? My weapons?”
Confusion crosses his face as he shakes his head. “S-satchel? I don’t know this word.”
I want to hit my head on the wall. I have no idea how Helena did this for so long. If I see her again, I will... no. I won’t see her again. She made sure of that.
Sighing, I pull my attention to the family staring at me. “My bag?” I make the motion of putting it over my shoulder again. “I need it.”
Understanding fills the boy’s eyes. He turns and rapidly starts speaking to his mother. All I can do is sit back and wait as the three begin speaking.
After a few minutes, the boy turns back to me.
“We have your things,” he says, “but my father says you can’t go.”
“What?” I yell, pushing myself to my feet. “I won’t be kept prisoner.”
The boy turns, talking to his father. Then, less than a minute later, he starts again. “No, not a prisoner. My father says you are... honorable guest. You save my mother, yes?”
I nod grimly. “Yes.”
The boy grins. “Then you are a guest.” He grabs my hand and pulls me towards the door. “Come. You can shower, then we will feed you.”
“What about my things?” I growl through clenched teeth.
“They are upstairs. Come.”
Mollified, I follow my unexpected translator. A new plan is forming in my mind.
Shower. Eat. Get my stuff. Then, I will finish my business in Lethe and put my things in order before death catches up with me.
24
Stealing Again
HELENA
Le Baba Morgaine, Le Baba Morgaine,I chant silently as I climb up fire escapes and rush around buildings. The hot metal burns my skin, sweat drips from my face, and I like the way it feels when the wind blows through my hair. Thank the gods, no one is chasing me now. I look less like a weirdo when people see me jogging in my ridiculous outfit.
I feel drunk with anticipation to find clothes. I used to have beautiful things in Aqualis. Stylish, good-quality contraband that I only risked wearing when Daddy wasn’t home.
Thoughts of my tyrannical father make my gray legs pump faster.
The high-rise apartments around me still look relatively nice but not as opulent as Fortuna Fitness. I need to find the portion of the city that screams “Money!” if I am going to find clothes worthy of a princess.
I climb higher, pulling myself up old metal stairs attached to the brick-and-mortar buildings. The sheer height makes me feel dizzy. I have never been this high up… ever. Height isn’t really an issue in Aqualis. When I look down, my stomach lurches into my throat.
Breathe.
An old Daemon female pokes her head out of one of the double-paned glass windows. “Get the hell away from my home!” she shouts. Her black hair is spilling out of a messy bun not too different from my own.
I keep running.
The woman continues, “I’m serious, ingrate! Get away from here, or I’m calling the DaePolice!”
My pace speeds up. I’m running as fast as possible. Every time I look down, my stomach lurches with uncomfortable terror. Even if I could have, I wouldn’t have responded to the irate female. I am not hurting her or anyone else—I am trying to save my own life.